Woman struggling with drugs loses licence for eight years

A WOMAN whose life spiralled out of control after the death of her partner has lost her licence for eight years.

In Hervey Bay Magistrates Court, Jade Ryan, 29, pleaded guilty to 11 charges, ranging from drug offences, carrying a knife in public and three counts of disqualified driving.

The court heard one of these disqualified driving offences occurred when the police found Ryan slumped over behind the steering wheel, with bloodied syringes in a KFC box nearby after she had just injected drugs.

Police prosecutor Senior Constable Jeanette Grigoris said this offence took place in November last year, only a month after Ryan was disqualified from driving for two years.

Then on two occasions in January and February, Ryan was caught driving again, Snr Const Grigoris said.

In the meantime, the police had also arrested Ryan running naked near Dayman Park in Urangan, carrying a knife.

Ryan's solicitor Craig Ryan from Legal Aid Queensland said this arrest represented a low point for his client, in an ongoing struggle with drug addiction after her partner's death.

Ryan was placed in custody in April as she waited for her charges to be dealt with by the court, and Mr Ryan said the change in his client's appearance after 42 drug-free days in custody was astonishing.

Magistrate Graeme Tatnell agreed.

"It's just amazing, the difference between how you appeared then and how you appear now," he said.

Magistrate Graeme Tatnell imposed eight years of licence disqualifications, due to Ryan's continued contempt of court in ignoring the original order, as well as the danger she represented on the roads when she drove during her drug crisis.

Ryan was also sentenced to six months imprisonment, with immediate parole due to the time spent in pre-sentence custody.